Airbags are used as springs, for load leveling, and for ride control on cargo vehicles such as tractor trailers, tandem trailers, and trucks. An unloaded vehicle registers a given pressure at each air bag. It is typically desirable to load a vehicle in a specific fashion, to regulate the weight imposed on each axle and each side of each axle of the vehicle and of a trailer. Determining the gross weight of a vehicle and determining the weight imposed upon each side of each axle has long been problematic. Weight determination is desirable for several reasons, which include improper load balance and excessive overall vehicle weight. Legal and practical limits are placed on vehicle weights and load distributions. The problems associated with overload and improper load balances are well understood in the commercial trucking industry. Additionally, loads vary with various trailers and with various loads, which are often unloaded at multiple stations, thereby changing load balance.
It has been determined that onboard display of weight load and load balances is highly desirable, but previously provided systems and methods for determining such have been overly complex and also poorly displayed and understood by truck drivers. Less than user-friendly systems and methods invite either misuse or no use by truck and tractor operators. What has been needed is a method for determining and displaying weight load per axle, per axle side, for tractor, trailer, tractor and trailer combined, and for a truck. The method must be basic and provide onboard display of weights in a graphic instantly understood by an operator. The present method provides for these needs.